Hoops

Van Groningen joins 36ers as General Manager of Basketball

I was going to post something along those lines but forgot to.

We who were paying attention at the time all know JvG did the dirty on everyone at the Bullet$ when implementing a plan to save the club by proposing to halve all wages. When the playing and coaching group asked Jeff if he was taking a paycut as well he had to come clean with a 'no.' Epic.

If the two really have a bad relationship with one another this could be a level from Kelley appointing JvG in hope that Joey resigns negating any payout for the years left on his contract?

I was going to post something along those lines but forgot to.

We who were paying attention at the time all know JvG did the dirty on everyone at the Bullet$ when implementing a plan to save the club by proposing to halve everyone's wages. When the playing and coaching group asked Jeff if he was taking a paycut as well he had to come clean with a 'no.' Epic.

If the two really have bad relationship with one another this could be a level from Kelley appointing JvG in hope that Joey resigns negating any payout for the years left on his contract?

Lol. Onya Adelaide.

So who are the people Kelly should be listening to? Clearly Kavenagh can not be the future they way he allegedly is pissing of those closer to the basketball

As I understand it that fuck up with the Aboriginal artist was on the CEO Ben Kavenagh probably part of the reason why JVG has been brought in now.

It is people like who you accept the poor management and poor actions and make excuse after excuse that allow people like this to keep screwing up because they know there is no recourse. Lets not forget the treatment of the Aboriginal artist and then wanting her to work for free after requesting a quote. The whole team is mismanaged, just as JVG has been his entire career.

As bad as the Mitch Creek situation was and it was very bad you've also got to look at it from his and the club's point of view. The Sixers spent 8 years developing Creek not the German club he played a handful of games for at the arse end of that season.

It would've been a travesty if that German team got the $100k buyout payment and not the Sixers if Creek had made the Nets opening day roster. So Kelley did the only thing he could do to stop it happening and took it to court and the Nets relented.

Creek didn't make the roster anyway so the payment never happened but keep in mind the Sixers lost out on the $400k buyout money they were supposed to get from OKC when they drafted Terrance Ferguson all due to an administrative error by the Sixers. They had no legal recourse to get that payment from OKC after that and Kelley was trying to ensure the team didn't get burnt again.

I'm not saying I agree with what he did because it guaranteed Creek would never play for the team again at least whilst he is still here and also gave the team a black eye in it's ability to recruit talent but I can understand why he did what he did. Is all that damage worth a possible $100k that never eventuated anyway? No.

The Sixers owner was a very successful businessman in Singapore before buying the team and one thing successful businessmen usually do well is hire credentialed people to look after areas they don't know so well.

I have no doubt that Grant Kelley and Joey have butted heads a few times but I bet he doesn't want anyone else coaching this team. He's a great coach who has a knack for maxmising the talent of the players he's been given. His teams always punch above their weight.

JVG has been very successful at "running" teams as in the day-to-day side of things but not so great at roster construction. I'm not thrilled with his hiring but maybe he's there more for the day-to-day behind the scenes stuff and roster construction will be a combination of him and Joey working together like they did in the past at Brisbane.

Two things you have to give JVG he's got more lives than a cat and he did lure Andrew Bogut to Sydney away from his hometown team in Melbourne. You have to respect those two achievements if nothing else.

"The owner is not silly nor naive "

All credibility just went out the window. Exhibit A: Mitchell Creek.

Maybe the owner is more on Joey's side than most think and that Jeff is just there to balance out somebody else who is not performing? The owner is not silly nor naive

... and how did I forget Big Joe.

Wow, this guy keeps getting gigs... could sell ice to Eskimos...

"Are there Van Groningens out there other than Jeff? Please tell me there are. "

Pretty sure his brother lives in Aus too and is a team chaplain somewhere?

The cycle of rehashing Bullet$ era characters at the 36ers is now complete.

First Groves shadow owned the team using Mal Hemmerling as cover, then Joey became coach and now this. Brilliant.

This guy has more lives than the local tabby cat.

club getting a bit top heavy now unless this is just stage 1 and more to come.......

I doubt this is a very good addition. Joey seems to have a lot of ex colleagues join him at one stage or another in Adelaide.

Isn’t this the title of the role that Big Joe was previously in?? Club media release says the new position of GM of Basketball??

Or is this a case of Big Joe inflating his title again and his so called role didn’t actually exist previously?

Interesting hire considering success Joey and Jeff has in Brisbane together with an open cheque book. Jeff has always been able to assemble enough talent to win basketball games, but his own personal agenda seems to get in the way of things sometimes.

Surely money amplified his past mistakes.

He put together an ill considered, mismatched and overpriced roster.

At Adelaide he could only put together an ill-researched, mismatched and budget roster, by foraging around in the spare parts bin.

At least he won’t be burning too much cash.

36ers you've done it again!


Again as in fail.

He'll either prove us doubters all wrong, or Adelaide will soon be gone from the league.

Cool, our payroll just doubled

He spent more money in three years at the kings than Adelaide spend in a decade, all for one third place finish. The haven’t looked back since he’s left. I don’t want be to negative but good luck with that. He’s worked with Wright before with success but again an unlimited budget, maybe Adelaide have found a lot money.

Who is on this selection panel?

And did they ask Jeff what happened on Sydney?

He did build a playoff team in his last year I suppose.

Who?

Urgh

Huge. Plenty of experience. Great pick up.